Helical movement of cylindrical objects



B. H- WALLACE HELICAL MOVEMENT OF CYLINDRIGAL OBJECTS Sept. 16, 1969Filed May 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

' BERT H. WALLACE BY wm AGENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

-' v BERT H. WALLACE BY MM B. H- WALLACE HELICAL MOVEMENT OF CYLINDRICALOBJECTS w I I" m I I up Sept. 16, 1969 Filed May 16, 1966 AGENT UnitedStates Patent 3,467,108 HELICAL MOVEMENT OF CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Bert H.Wallace, Uniondale, N.Y., assignor to General Cigar Co., Inc., New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,402Int. Cl. A24c 1/22, 1/30 US. Cl. 13120 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE In a machine, cylindrical objects are helically moved bypassing them longitudinally through an elongated guide which extendsthrough a base having three equidistantly spaced arms each of whichsupports two shafts with rollers mounted on their free ends. The shaftsare uniformly rotated and converge closely toward the'axis of theobjects discharging from the guide so that the rollers contact thecylindrical surface of the objects to impart both rotational andtranslational movement to the objects. The machine is particularlyuseful in manufacturing cigars.

This invention relates to the helical movement of cylindrical orrod-shaped objects, and more particularly to the continuous applicationof a helical wrapping on rodshaped objects while undergoing helicalmovement as in the case of helically wrapping a ribbon of tobacco sheeton a series of cigar bunches aligned end to end.

Prior mechanisms for applying a helical wrapping on cigar bunches arewell-known in the art. conventionally, cigar machines individually wrapsingle or double length bunches at rates ranging from about 12 to 36cigars per minute. Modifications have been made on the conventionalcigar-making machine to adapt it to feed web segments from a. continuousroll of a tobacco sheet for the purpose of wrapping cigars, butthisstill entails the principle of individually machine-wrapping single ordouble length cigar bunches. To increase substantially the number ofcigar bunches wrapped per unit of time involves a different method offeeding cigar bunches to a wrapping device. A machine for axiallyconveying and simultaneously rotating rod-shaped objects, such as cigarbunches made on a cigarette-making machine, has been disclosed in US.Patent 3,135,406; that machine involves two spherical rolls journalledon opposite sides of the conveying path at a predetermined angle so asto impart an axial conveying motion combined with axial rotation of therod-shaped objects or cigar bunches. British Patent 856,082 discloses amultiple belt system for applying a wrapper onto a cigar bunch wherebyone pair of belts advances the bunch longitudinally while a transverselypositioned pair of belts imparts axial rotation to the bunch and stillanother belt supplies a tobacco sheet at a 45 angle to the advancing androtating bunch.

An important object of high-speed wrapper rolling, where it is possibleto wrap hundreds of bunches per minute, is to provide a well-definedstraight path through which each cigar bunch is conveyed withsimultaneous rotation but free of the swaying that is inherent in thetwo devices of the prior art just discussed. By defining a straightunswerving path for the cigar bunch, the band or strip of tobacco sheetis pulled from a roll thereof at a constant rate thereby minimizingtearing of the relatively tender strip of tobacco sheet which isessential if a high-speed wrapping machine is to operate withoutfrequent interruptions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved methodand apparatus for continuously applying a helical wrapping on arod-shaped object.

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It is a further object of the invention to provide a method andapparatus for the continuous high-speed wrapping of cigar bunchesaligned end to end, helically with a band of tobacco sheet from a rollthereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatuswhereby cigar bunches are serially conveyed while rotated in awell-defined straight path free of any swaying movement.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the description which follows.

In accordance with this invention, the cigar bunch can be of theconventional type with filler tobacco encased in a helically woundbinder, but preferably the cigar hunch is made on a rod-making machineof the type used in cigarette manufacture where the filler is encased ina straight seam-pasted binder. In the latter case, the continuouslyformed rod is cut into cigar bunches of single or multiple length with asuitable cutoff device. In either case, the bunches are fed end-to-endthrough a lowfriction rectilinear guide to two serially arranged andspaced sets of three driven rollers, the three rollers of each set beinguniformly spaced around the axis of the cigar bunch and disposed withtheir three axes converging closely toward but not intersecting the axisof the cigar bunch so that the peripheries of the rollers contact thesurface of the cigar bunch to impart both rotational and translationalmotion to the bunch, while a continuous ribbon of tobacco sheet is fedfrom a roll thereof into angular contact with the surface of the movingcigar bunch whereupon the ribbon is continuously helically wound aroundthe cigar bunch by the helical movement of the bunch through therollers. Prior to contacting the cigar bunch, the ribbon of tobaccosheet receives paste on its underside, as by conducting the ribbon overan appropriate paster, in order to adhere the ribbon to the bunch andthus prevent unraveling of the Wrapped bunch after it leaves therollers. As each helically wrapped bunch is pushed beyond the second setof driven rollers, a device severs the ribbon wrapped on that bunch atthe point where the ribbon links that bunch to the next trailing bunch,which is in end-to-end relation to the wrapped bunch, in order to detachthat wrapped bunch from the trailing bunch, preferably while thetrailing bunch is still passing through the second set of rollers.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is now made tothe accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and ofwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a lateral aligned sectional view (partially broken away forclarity), taken along the line 1-1 of FIGURE 2, of a machine whichserially conveys rodshaped objects such as cigar bunches whilesimultaneously rotating each such object about its axis as itlongitudinally passes through the machine; and

FIGURE 2 is the end 'view of said machine when looking at its dischargeend.

The machine comprises a tripodal frame 10 having three legs or arms 11,12, 13 branching from cylindrical base 14 equidistantly, i.e.,'120, fromeach other around cylindrical base 14. Frame 10 is supported with itscylindrical base 14 in a horizontal position by a vertical stand such assteel plate 15 to which frame 10 is fastened by bolts 16. Base 14 has acentral bore 17 aligned with circular aperture 18 in plate 15 and arigid plastic tube 19, preferably of nylon or Teflon, acts as liner ofaperture 18 and bore 17 and as guide for the rod-shaped objects suppliedto the machine.

An annular member 20 comprising drive pulley 21 and bevel gear 22 isrotatably mounted with two sets of ball bearings 23, 24 on the exteriorsurface 25 of cylindrical base 14. Spacer ring 26 fixes the spacingbetween ball bearings 23, 24 and spacer ring 27 holds the assembly ofball bearings 23, 24 and spacer ring 26 snugly in position againstshoulder 28 on the exterior of base 14. Timing belt 29 on drive pulley21 is driven by means of a suitable power transmission by an electricmotor or the drive of a rod-making machine of the type commonly used tomanufacture cigarettes. In the case of cigar bunches made with acigarette-making machine, it is preferred to drive timing belt 29 fromthe drive of the cigarette-making machine because with the aid of asuitable power transmission the operation of the machine of thisinvention can be made to synchronize perfectly with the operation of thecigarette-making machine regardless of variations in the speed of thelatter.

Each of arms 11, 12, 13 supports one roller of each of two seriallyspaced sets of three rollers. The first set of rollers 30A, 30B, 300 areattached to rotatable shafts 31A, 31B, 31C, respectively, which aremounted on arms 11, 12, 13, respectively. Likewise, the second set ofrollers 32A, 32B, 32C are attached to rotatable shafts 33A, 33B, 33C,respectively, which are mounted on arms 11, 12, 13, respectively. Sleeve34A passes through arm 11 and is held in position by set-screw 35A.Brass bearings 36A, 37A are inserted into the opposite ends of sleeve34A. Shaft 31A passes through bearings 36A, 37A and has gear 38Aattached to its end opposite the end with roller 30A. Retainer collar39A holds washers 40A against bearing 36A while washer 41A is disposedbetween bearing 37A and gear 38A. Each of roller 30A, gear 38A andcollar 39A is adjustably positioned along shaft 31A by a set-screw. Theother two rollers 30B, 30C of the first set also have the same elementscorresponding to those described in association with roller 30A andshaft 31A.

Sleeve 42A passes through arm 11 and is held in position by set-screw43A. Brass bearings 44A, 45A are inserted into the opposite ends ofsleeve 42A. Shaft 33A passes through bearings 44A, 45A and has gear 46Aattached to its end opposite the end with roller 32A. Retainer collar47A holds washer 48A against bearing 44A while washer 49A is disposedbetween bearing 45A and gear 46A. Each of roller 32A, gear 46A andcollar 47A is adjustably positioned along shaft 33A by a set-screw. Theother two rollers 32B, 32C of the second set also have the same elementscorresponding to those described in association with roller 32A andshaft 33A.

The pairs of gears 38A, 46A on arm 11, 38B, 468 on arm 12 and 38C, 460on arm 13 are each meshed with gears 50, 51, 52, respectively, whichform combination gears with bevel gears 53, 54, 55, respectively.Combination gear 52, 55 is rotatably mounted with two sets of ballbearings 56C, 570 on bolt 58C extending through arm 13. Spacer ring 59Cfixes the spacing between ball bearings 56C, 57C and spacer ring 60Ckeeps combination gear 52, 55 from rubbing the surface of arm 13. Nut610 on bolt 58C completes the assembly which permits bevel gear 55 tomesh with bevel gear 22 of annular member 20. In like manner,combination gears 50, 53 and 51, 54 also have the same elementscorresponding to those described in association with combination gear52, 55 so that all three bevel gears 53, 54, 55 mesh with bevel gear 22.

Thus, the machine just described will function to rotate the two sets ofrollers 30A, 30B, 30C and 32A, 32B, 32C at the same speed by theoperation of timing belt 29. As seen in FIGURE 2, the counterclockwisemovement of belt 29 around pulley 21 (shown in FIGURE 1) causes bevelgear 22 to rotate counter-clockwise which in turn causes meshing bevelgears 53, 54, 55 to rotate clockwise. This clockwise rotation of bevelgears 53, 54, 55 acting through their combined gears 50, 51, 52,respectively, imparts counterclockwise rotation to gears 38A, 46A, 38B,46B, 38C, 46C and respectively associated rollers 30A, 32A, 30B, 32B,30C, 32C. Clearly, each of the two sets of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C and32A, 32B, 32C rotating counterclockwise will cause clockwise rotation ofa rod-shaped object which comes into contact first with all threerollers 4 30A, 30B, 30C and then with all three rollers 32A, 32B, 32C.

In a very important use of the machine just described, cylindrical cigarbunches aligned in end-to-end relation and pushed into contact with thefirst set of three rollers 30A, 30B, 30C will, when timing belt 29 isrunning simultaneously effect clockwise rotation (viewed in FIGURE 2)and longitudinal movement (to the right, viewed in FIGURE 1) of eachcigar bunch contacting first the set of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C and thenthe set of rollers 32A, 32B, 32C. To ensure this helical advancement ofthe cigar bunches through the machine, it is desirable that each cigarbunch be at least slightly longer than the distance between the pointwhere the first set of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C contact the cigar bunchesand the point where the second set of rollers 32A, 32B, 32C contact thecigar bunches. In this way, each cigar bunch is under the positiveaction and control of at least one of the two sets of rollers during thepassage of that cigar bunch through the machine.

In this illustrative important use of the machine, each cigar bunch ishelically wrapped with a ribbon of tobacco sheet. As shown in FIGURE 2,the tobacco sheet ribbon R is drawn from a spool (not shown) around anidler roller 62, which may be supported by steel plate 15, and over apaste applicator 63 which functions to spread a paste such as aqueousmethylcellulose or gum tragacanth on the bottom or inner side of ribbonR. As shown in FIGURE 1, ribbon R comes into contact with the top ofeach cigar bunch between the first set of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C and thesecond set of rollers 32A, 32B, 32C. The positive helical movement ofthe cigar bunches imparted by the two sets of rollers continuously pullsribbon R from the spool, around idler roller 62 and over pasteapplicator 63 and helically wraps it around the cigar bunches as theypass through the second set of rollers 32A, 32B, 32C. The paste on thebottom or inner side of ribbon R sticks ribbon R on the cigar bunches sothat it will not unravel after the cigar bunches leave the machine.

Paste applicator 63 may take any desired form. As shown in FIGURE 2, itis a hollow cylinder in form with a series of perforations or a narrowslit in the portion of its surface over which ribbon R is drawn. Thepaste is supplied to applicator 63 through flexible tubing 64 and asuitable bracket 65 for applicator 63 may also be mounted on plate 15.It is well to note that idler roller 62 and paste applicator 63 are bothpositioned angularly with respect to the length of the cigar bunchessince ribbon R must come in angularly to the cigar bunches for properhelical wrapping thereon.

Inasmuch as tobacco sheet ribbon R is a continuous ribbon, the helicallywrapped cigar bunches discharged by the second set of rollers 32A, 32B,32C are linked to one another by ribbon -R. A suitable severing devicesuch as the type commonly used on cigarette-making machines to cut thecontinuous cigarette rod into individual cigarettes may be employed tocut through the helically wrapped ribbon R on the cigar bunches at everypoint where one cigar bunch abuts the next bunch. Thus, as the series ofhelically wrapped bunches moves (to the right, viewed in FIGURE 1), thesevering device will cut through ribbon R each time two abutted ends ofcigar bunches pass the severing device. Such abutted ends of cigarbunches linked by the helical wrapping of ribbon R is shown in FIGURE 1at point A in the series of bunches. With each cut made by the severingdevice at point A between linked bunches, another helically wrappedcigar bunch has been completed and detached from the trailing series ofbunches.

FIGURE 1 also shows at points B the abutted ends of cigar bunches beforethey have been covered with the helical wrapping of ribbon R. Cigarbunches made on a conventional cigarette-making machine will have thepasted longitudinal seam of the enveloping tobacco sheet along the topof the bunches and therefore this top seam is not seen in the bunchesentering the machine of the invention as viewed in FIGURE 1. However, assoon as a cigar hunch is pushed into contact with the first set of threerollers 30A, 30B, 30C it begins to rotate about its axis whilesimultaneously moving longitudinally so that seam S of the bunch whichis under the positive action of rollers 30A, 30B, 300 as well as ofrollers 32A, 32B, 320 may be seen in FIGURE 1. It is well to note thatthe distance between the first and second sets of rollers is less thanthe length of each cigar bunch which is acted upon by these two sets ofrollers. In this way, each bunch is continuously under the positivecontrol of at least one of the two sets of rollers from the moment whenthe bunch enters the first set of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C to the momentwhen that bunch leaves the second set of rollers 32A, 32B, 32C.

Customarily, the wrapper on a cigar is helically applied with a helixangle in the range of about 40 to 50. To achieve such helical wrappingof cigar bunches with the machine of this invention, each of the threearms 11, 12, 13 of tripodal frame 10 is also at an angle in the range ofabout 40 to 50 with respect to the axis of cylindrical base 14 of frame10. Because shafts 31A, 31B, 31C, 33A, 33B, 33C are set at right anglesto arms 11, 12, 13, it is evident that rollers 30A, 30B, 30C, 32A, 32B,32C will also be disposed at the same angle of arms 11, 12, 13 relativeto the axis of the series of cigar bunches.

In a specific example of the machine shown in the drawings, double cigarbunches 9% inches in length and inch in diameter produced on acigarette-making machine with a tobacco sheet of the type disclosed inU.S. Patent 2,592,553 to W. G. Frankerrburg and P. W. Garbo in lieu ofcigarette paper are continuously fed in abutted end-to-end relation intoplastic tube 19 and as each double cigar bunch comes into contact withthe first set of three rollers 30A, 30B, 30C it is positively advancedby these rollers with a simultaneous forward and rotational movement.Each advancing double cigar bunch also comes into contact with thesecond set of three rollers 32A, 32B, 32C which not only stabilizes theaction of the first set of rollers 30A, 30B, 30C on that bunch but alsopositively continues the advancement of that bunch after it leaves thefirst set of rollers. The distance between the point of contact of thefirst set of rollers and the point of contact of the second set ofrollers is 4% inches along the length of the cigar bunch. The three arms11, 12, 13 supporting the rollers radiate from cylindrical base 14equidistantly from each other and at an angle of 40 to the axis ofcylindrical base 14. Since rotatable shafts 31A, 31B, 31C, 33A, 33B, 33Care mounted at right angles to their respective supporting arms 11, 12,13, rollers 30A, 30B, 30C, 32A, 32B, 32C attached to these rotatableshafts are also disposed at an angle of 40 to the axis of the cigarbunches acted on by the rollers. The angular or oblique position of therollers in turn controls the helix angle of the helical movement of thecigar bunches through the two sets of rollers.

In this specific example, a ribbon, 1 inches wide, of tobacco sheet ofthe type disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,076,729 to P. W. Garbo is drawn froma roll thereof rotatably held by a bracket of the type provided with abrake which is released in response to a pulling action on the ribbon asshown in FIGURE 1 of U.S. Patent 3,060,775 to I. A. Dreher. Then theribbon passes over paste applicator 63 which spreads a thin layer ofaqueous methylcellulose paste on the bottom or inner surface of theribbon and thence the ribbon is further drawn between the two sets ofrollers by the helical movement of the double cigar bunches on which theribbon is wrapped. With the rollers disposed at an angle of 40 to theaxis of the cigar bunches, the helix angle at which the ribbon oftobacco sheet is wrapped on the cigar bunches is also 40 and it is atthis same acute angle that the ribbon comes into tangential contact withthe cigar bunches after it receives paste from applicator 63. Theselected width of ribbon for the cigar bunch diameter used in thisexample gives an overlap of about 716 inch width at the successiveconvolutions of the helically wrapped ribbon. The helical wrapping ofthe ribbon is carried out at a speed of 250 double cigar bunches perminute. Inasmuch as the wrapped double bunches are then cut intoindividual cigars, the wrapping speed of the machine in this specificcase is equivalent to 500 cigars per minute.

While the machine of this invention has been described in terms of avery important commercial use thereof, it is obviously not limited tothe production of cigars. The helical movement of cylindrical objectsmay be required in applying a protective sheet and coating to metaltubes and rods. Furthermore, the machine may be used merely to apply adecorative helical stripe to the surface of cylindrical objects. Such adecorative stripe may be applied by painting, burning, etching, grindingand similar techniques on the surface of cylindrical objects dependingon their composition and the decorative effect desired.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that many variations andmodifications of the invention may be made without departing from itsspirit and scope. For instance, while the machine of this invention hasbeen described in its preferred simple form with three arms supportingtwo tandem sets of driven rollers, the machine may have four armsuniformly spaced from each other, in which case each of the two tandemsets will have four driven rollers to make simultaneous contact with thecylindrical surface of the rod-shaped objects undergoing helicalmovement. Likewise, whether the machine has three or more arms, each armmay support three driven rollers rather than just two as previouslydescribed so that the machine will then have three sets of drivenrollers in tandem alignment. Such modifications would increase the costof the machine and, in most cases, would not be justified.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for the helical movement of cylindrical objects arrangedlongitudinally in series, comprising elongated guiding means into whichsaid objects are introduced longitudinally, and at least two tandemaligned sets of at least three driven rollers uniformly spaced aroundthe axis of said objects adjacent the discharge end of said guidingmeans and disposed near the free ends of rotatable shafts extending froma fixed support closely toward the axis of said objects so that theperipheries of said rollers contact the cylindrical surface of saidobjects to impart both rotational and translational motion to saidobjects, said rotatable shafts being driven at the same speed and in thesame rotational direction.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein the tandem aligned sets of rollers arespaced from each other a distance less than the length of eachcylindrical object measured along said length from the point of contactof one set of rollers to the point of contact of the next set of rollerswith the cylindrical surface of said object.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein the rotatable shafts for each of thetandem aligned sets of rollers are driven by a gear train powered by asingle drive through which the elongated guiding means extends.

4. The machine of claim 1 wherein each of the rotatable shafts of therollers of the tandem aligned sets of said rollers is disposed with itsaxis at an angle in the range of about 40 to 50 relative to the axis ofthe cylindrical objects contacted by said rollers.

5. In a cigar bunch machine of the type used to make cigarettes, theimprovement of the combination therewith of means for helically Wrappinga ribbon of tobacco sheet on the cigar bunches issuing longitudinally inseries from said machine which comprises an elongated guide throughwhich said bunches pass in series to at least two tandem aligned sets ofat least three driven rollers uniformly spaced around the axis of saidbunches adjacent the discharge end of said guide and disposed near thefree ends of rotatable shafts extending from a fixed support closelytoward the axis of said bunches so that the peripheries of said rollerscontact the cylindrical surface of said bunches to impart bothrotational and translational motion to said bunches, said rotatableshafts being driven at the same speed and in the same rotationaldirection, and means for supplying said ribbon obliquely relative to theaxis of said bunches between two of said sets of rollers so that saidribbon is helically wrapped on said bunches undergoing both saidrotational and said translational motion.

6. The improvement of the machine of claim wherein a paste applicator ispositioned to spread paste on the inner side of the ribbon of tobaccosheet before said ribbon is helically wrapped and adhesively fastened onthe cigar bunches undergoing both rotational and translational motion.

7. The improvement of the machine of claim 6 wherein the tandem alignedsets of rollers comprise a first set of rollers and a second set ofrollers spaced from each other a distance less than the length of eachcigar bunch measured along said length from the point of contact of saidfirst set of rollers to the point of contact of said second set ofrollers with the cylindrical surface of said bunch.

8. The improvement of the machine of claim 5 wherein the tandem alignedsets of rollers are driven by a gear train powered by the drive of saidmachine and each of the rotatable shafts of said rollers is disposedwith its axis at an angle in the range of about 40 to 50 relative to theaxis of the cigar bunches contacted by said rollers.

9. A machine for the helical movement of cylindrical objects arrangedlongitudinally in series, comprising a tripodal frame having ahorizontal cylindrical base and three arms extending therefrom at auniform oblique angle to the axis of said base and spaced equally fromeach other around said base, an axial passage through said base topermit said objects to pass longitudinally therethrough, two spacedrotatable shafts extending from each of said arms closely toward theaxis of said base, a roller mounted near the free end of each of saidrotatable shafts so that the periphery of each said roller will contactthe cylindrical surface of said objects as they leave said axialpassage, and means for driving each of said rotatable shafts at the samespeed and in the same rotational direction.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein the oblique angle is in the range ofabout 40 to 50.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein the means for driving each of therotatable shafts is a gear train associated with a drive pulleyrotatably mounted around the cylindrical base of the tripodal frame.

12. A machine for the helical movement of cylindrical objects arrangedlongitudinally in series, comprising elongated guiding means into whichsaid objects are introduced longitudinally, and a cylindrical basethrough which said guiding means extends and from which three armsbranch out equidistantly from each other and equally inclined relativeto the axis of said objects discharging from said guiding means, each ofsaid arms supporting a first rotatable shaft with a roller mountedthereon and a second rotatable shaft with a roller mounted thereon, allsaid shafts converging closely toward the axis of said objects so thatthe peripheries of all said rollers contact the cylindrical surface ofsaid objects beyond the discharge end of said guiding means and all saidshafts being rotatable at the same speed and in the same rotationaldirection by a gear train powered by a single drive, whereby the contactof the peripheries of said rollers with the cylindrical surface of saidobjects imparts both rotational and translational motion to saidobjects.

13. The method of helically wrapping a ribbon on cylindrical objectswhich comprises bringing said objects arranged longitudinally in seriesinto simultaneous contact with three rotating rollers uniformly spacedaround the axis of said objects and disposed with their axes at an acuteangle to the axis of said objects, supplying said ribbon obliquely tothe axis of said objects so that said ribbon is helically wrapped onsaid objects after their contact with said three rollers, makingsimultaneous contact of the helically wrapped objects with another threerotating rollers uniformly spaced around the axis of said helicallywrapped objects and disposed with their axes at an acute angle to theaxis of said helically wrapped objects, and rotating all of said rollersat the same speed and in the same rotational direction.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a paste is applied to the inner sideof the ribbon before said ribbon is helically wrapped on the cylindricalobjects.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the cylindrical objects are cigarbunches made on a machine of the cigarette-making type, and the ribbonis a tobacco sheet supplied obliquely at an angle in the range of about40 to 50 to the axis of said bunches.

16. The method of claim 5 wherein the width of the ribbon of tobaccosheet is selected relative to the diameter of the cigar bunches toprovide an overlap of the helically wrapped ribbon on said bunches.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 590,629 9/1897 Richards 131-591,054,961 3/1913 Dean 93-80 2,489,503 11/1949 Sampson et al. 9380 X3,058,474 10/1962 Banning 13l59 HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Primary Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 9380; l3159 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 108 Dated September 16, 1969 Inventor(s) Bert H.Wallace It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 26, "washers" should read -washer. Column 4, line 6,"running" should read running, Column 8, line 40, "claim 5" should read--claim 15-.

SIGNED AND SEALED AUG 25370 m1 3. 60mm, JR- Edward H. un, In. Comissiomat MS Arresting Omen- FORM PO-1D50(10-69) uscoMM-DC GUSTO-POD 9 LLS.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ll. 0-3591!

